FIA Formula 1 Championship 2012

[Ry_Tower]

Alonso Bullish over title bid

Ferrari flyer Fernando Alonso is confident of running down champions Red Bull when F1 returns to the track next year.

The Spaniard and his team finished third in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings this season, but the truth is they were never in the hunt as Red Bull racer Sebastian Vettel dominated from start to finish.

However, the double world champion claims an “air of confidence” has swept through Ferrari since the end of the campaign. And while he feels Red Bull have already reached a peak with their car, Alonso insists the F1 legends are poised to make major strides in 2012.

“I think we are going to go up,” the 30-year-old said. “Red Bull has a car that is very well developed, a very good car.

Improving that car is possible, and they will improve it, but they don’t have such a big margin to improve, unlike us.

“We had aerodynamic problems when the windtunnel wasn’t working well. We had a different philosophy to adapt to the Pirellis [tyres], a different philosophy for the suspension and many other things. “So we have a big margin to improve,” Alonso added. “[Red Bull] will improve by X per cent, and we are going to improve by X by two, so it’s all going to be much closer.”

Ferrari have been developing their new car since August once it became clear that they weren’t quick enough to challenge Vettel and Co for the title.


Motorsport News, Alonso Bullish over title bid | 7DAYS

Competitive racing is the best, hoping the Mclaren team and Mercedez will also be more competitive!

[Retz]

Alonso Bullish over title bid

Ferrari flyer Fernando Alonso is confident of running down champions Red Bull when F1 returns to the track next year.

The Spaniard and his team finished third in the drivers’ and constructors’ standings this season, but the truth is they were never in the hunt as Red Bull racer Sebastian Vettel dominated from start to finish.

However, the double world champion claims an “air of confidence” has swept through Ferrari since the end of the campaign. And while he feels Red Bull have already reached a peak with their car, Alonso insists the F1 legends are poised to make major strides in 2012.

“I think we are going to go up,” the 30-year-old said. “Red Bull has a car that is very well developed, a very good car.

Improving that car is possible, and they will improve it, but they don’t have such a big margin to improve, unlike us.

“We had aerodynamic problems when the windtunnel wasn’t working well. We had a different philosophy to adapt to the Pirellis [tyres], a different philosophy for the suspension and many other things. “So we have a big margin to improve,” Alonso added. “[Red Bull] will improve by X per cent, and we are going to improve by X by two, so it’s all going to be much closer.”

Ferrari have been developing their new car since August once it became clear that they weren’t quick enough to challenge Vettel and Co for the title.


Motorsport News, Alonso Bullish over title bid | 7DAYS

Great news. I wanted to see Ferrari go on head to head with RBR. It is about time Ferrari to step-up and make those necessary changes to compete with a fast car like RBR.

[Retz]

[SIZE=5]Argentina aiming to host F1 in 2014[/SIZE]

Construction of a 4.7km Formula 1 track has begun near Buenos Aires in what would be Argentina’s bid to host a Grand Prix by 2014.

The $100 million project Velociudad Speedcity circuit is in Zarate, close to the South American country’s capital, is expected to be completed in 14 months.

The track is designed by Populous, a company which revamped Silverstone and is attempting to land a Grand Prix circuit near Mumbai, India.

"We are really proud to contribute with our design to create a new destination for F1, which always means an economic catalyst for the area and produces global exposure," John Rhodes, Associate Principal of Populous, said.

"During the last five years we have developed technology, software, and design techniques through the use of simulation to physically test the design of a circuit.

“These pioneering techniques have enabled the creation of a topographically exciting and challenging medium-speed circuit on what was a relatively square and flat 63 hectare site," Rhodes added.

The last Argentine Grand Prix was held in 1998.


Argentina aiming to host F1 in 2014 | News | F1 Pulse

[Retz]

Q&A with Kimi Raikkonen
21/12/2011

pitpass - Q&A with Kimi Raikkonen

[Ry_Tower]

Kiss and make up? Or just the start of mind games.....

pitpass - Hamilton and Massa make peace

[Retz]

^

probably it is the latter.

[gongrhey]

Competitive racing is the best, hoping the Mclaren team and Mercedez will also be more competitive!

I agree, the race is so predictable and boring when dominated by one team. We'll see in 2012.

[Retz]

[SIZE=4]20 races a year enough insists Ecclestone[/SIZE]

Bernie Ecclestone said that the Formula 1 calendar will not schedule more than 20 Grands Prix in a year despite interest from various venues to host a race.

The F1 boss pointed out that abundance of venues has given the sport plenty of options but admitted that not all would necessarily make it on the calendar.

Texas will debut with the Circuit of the Americas next season followed by Grands Prix in New Jersey and Russia. France has also been on the radar, Argentina has begun construction of a new circuit, South Africa and Mexico have expressed its interest and India is planning to have another track near Mumbai.

"We have enough countries waiting but I think we have to stop now," Ecclestone told Al Jazeera. "It's difficult for the people who work in Formula 1 with all the travelling. They never see their families, that's the big problem."

New venues would mean that existing races could be dropped, as was the case with Turkey for next year.

"It is a pity we have lost that because I think it is one of those countries that's going to really move on in the world and that's why I went there in the first place," the 81-year-old said.

F1 is set to return to the United States next year for the first time since 2007 and will have two races in the country the following season. However that hasn’t convinced Ecclestone that the sport would be necessarily popular in the US.

"We've got a maximum of two races in America and when you consider the country is as big as Europe and we've got several races in Europe, it's difficult,” he said.

"If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television it would be okay. It's a bit like the rest of America in that they want to see a profit before they start something and it's not easy to do that."

Source: 20 races a year enough insists Ecclestone | News | F1 Pulse

[Retz]

The Best and Worst of F1 2011

Formula 1 - F1 | Blog - The best and worst of F1 2011 | ITV Sport

[CVT]

[SIZE=4]20 races a year enough insists Ecclestone[/SIZE]

Bernie Ecclestone said that the Formula 1 calendar will not schedule more than 20 Grands Prix in a year despite interest from various venues to host a race.

The F1 boss pointed out that abundance of venues has given the sport plenty of options but admitted that not all would necessarily make it on the calendar.

Texas will debut with the Circuit of the Americas next season followed by Grands Prix in New Jersey and Russia. France has also been on the radar, Argentina has begun construction of a new circuit, South Africa and Mexico have expressed its interest and India is planning to have another track near Mumbai.

"We have enough countries waiting but I think we have to stop now," Ecclestone told Al Jazeera. "It's difficult for the people who work in Formula 1 with all the travelling. They never see their families, that's the big problem."

New venues would mean that existing races could be dropped, as was the case with Turkey for next year.

"It is a pity we have lost that because I think it is one of those countries that's going to really move on in the world and that's why I went there in the first place," the 81-year-old said.

F1 is set to return to the United States next year for the first time since 2007 and will have two races in the country the following season. However that hasn’t convinced Ecclestone that the sport would be necessarily popular in the US.

"We've got a maximum of two races in America and when you consider the country is as big as Europe and we've got several races in Europe, it's difficult,” he said.

"If we had a lot more races there and a lot more television it would be okay. It's a bit like the rest of America in that they want to see a profit before they start something and it's not easy to do that."

Source: 20 races a year enough insists Ecclestone | News | F1 Pulse

Mahirap manuod ng races sa Americas.... Hatinggabi/madaling araw na...

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